President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed Pro Football Hall of Fame voters for failing to select Bill Belichick for induction in his first year of eligibility.
Trump used Truth Social to blast what he described as the same thinking that has damaged pro football in recent years, linking Belichick's snub to the NFL's controversial new kickoff format.
"It is the same mindset that gave pro football the new and unwatchable 'Sissy' Kickoff Rule, that made it possible for Bill Belichick to not be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame," Trump wrote. "Both are ridiculous and should be overturned!"
The president's criticism also revived his ongoing attacks on the NFL's new "dynamic kickoff" rule, which he has repeatedly mocked as soft and damaging to the sport's tradition.
"I can't watch the new NFL Kickoff," Trump wrote Sunday. "Like many others, I just turn my head. Who has the right to make such a change? So disparaging to the game!"
Belichick, the most successful head coach of the Super Bowl era, failed to secure the required 40 of 50 votes for first-ballot induction, according to ESPN.
The decision stunned fans and many longtime Hall of Fame observers who viewed Belichick as an automatic choice after winning six Super Bowls as head coach of the New England Patriots and two more as a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants.
Sources close to Belichick told ESPN the coach was "puzzled" and "disappointed" by the outcome.
"Six Super Bowls isn't enough?" Belichick reportedly asked one associate.
Another source said the coach believes "politics kept him out," rather than any serious evaluation of his accomplishments.
With 333 career wins, including the playoffs — second only to Don Shula — Belichick's résumé includes 17 division titles, nine conference championships, and 12 Super Bowl appearances.
Several voters reportedly raised lingering resentment over the "Spygate" and "Deflategate" controversies during the Patriots' dynasty, suggesting the scandals cost him critical support.
One veteran Hall voter told ESPN that the "cheating stuff" bothered some members of the selection committee, while another source said at least one voter floated the idea that Belichick should "wait a year" as a form of penance.
Even critics acknowledged the decision was extraordinary, with retired Hall voter Peter King calling the outcome "a big surprise."
To many conservatives and longtime football fans, Belichick's exclusion reinforces concerns that elite institutions, from sports leagues to media organizations, are increasingly driven by politics and image management rather than merit.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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